Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported by your browser. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable. For more information about this message, please visit this page: About CDC.gov.

In response to a confidential request made by three employees, an investigation was begun into possible hazardous working conditions at the Photoart store (SIC-7384) located in the Spotsylvania Mall in Fredricksburg, Virginia. Photoart is a photo processing establishment which operates in a 2,300 square foot space inside the Mall. There are 12 to 13 employees with as many as five to six on duty during hours of peak workload. Findings from the investigation showed that the lab was cramped for space; that the ceiling exhaust fans for the photo processing lab were not operating; that two exhaust fans pulled 40 to 43 cubic feet of air per minute from the ceiling space above the lab; that the outside air vent was fully closed even though the set point control was set at 20% open; that the highest airborne concentration determined for any chemical was for acetic-acid (64197) which occurred during the mixing of a 5 gallon batch of RA4 bleach fix solution. The most common health complaint was headache. Air monitoring did not detect excess inhalation exposures to photoprocessing chemical gases or vapors. Recommendations included improving housekeeping, improving the ventilation system, clearly marking chemical storage bins, implementing an OSHA hazard communication program, labeling chemical storage and recovery tanks, and additional employee training.